So, i had a pretty busy day, didn't have much time to come online... I bought Christmas presents for hubby and most of the presents for daughter. There are still many I must buy for brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephew, niece. My side of the family doesn't exchange gifts (thank goodness), so a few more trips to the shopping mall and I'll be done. I still have to buy that elusive tree, haha. Tomorrow, I hope. It's so cold here (-10 C) and I hate to go out, only when necessary. We are expecting snow tomorrow, my daughter is super excited about it.

We were planning to go to the west coast (Seattle) for the passage of the year, even bought the plane tickets, but must cancel. Hubby went to the doctor today and he needs surgery which will take place on the 6th of January. He had a fall several years ago while skiing in the Swiss Alps and his leg/hip is presently giving him a lot of pain - thus the surgery. The doctor thinks that once he removes the pins /bolts and plaques that keep his bones together, the pain will also go away. I hope so. Oh, well, c'est la vie... I've been massaging his legs and feet to see if he feels better, poor thing. Now, daughter also wants foot massages... I wish someone would massage my feet, lol

Last, but not least, eating has been fantastic! I've been eating a lot of fruits and veggies, salmon, beans, and very little - next to nothing- of red meat. Also, I stopped using oils (even olive oil) after reading that article Biscotti posted the other day. I don't miss it! Portions also haven been good - I feel in control!

I hope everyone is doing great!

Progress as of today: 18 lbs lost so far, only 29 lbs to go!

V on 12/15/2010:
Hey girly!!! I am sorry you have to cancel on the trip :( Are you hosting Christmas this year??? Man it's cold where you are, so I will stop griping so much about the weather here!!! Yes Biscotti has surely has been a source of some extremely useful knowledge...I have been pondering for months now as to the meat eating and after watching the video and purchased the book, I am gonna attempt that lifestyle as well :) I haven't seen her around these parts lately but I think she created quite a stir with some of us!!! Congrats on your healthier eating and I hope you get that shopping done soon so you can avoid the mad dash and crowds next week is sure to bring :) Good night!

Umpqua on 12/15/2010:
Sorry to hear about hubby's surgery, but it's good he's getting it taken care of. Your foods sound wonderful! I just ordered Esselstyn's book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease based on Biscotti's info in both her diaries. We've also been eating very little red meat and I've cut way back on meat in general, doing mostly beans and veggies with some whole grains and fish. I do use olive oil and my boys like nuts though, so that's a tough part of the book to follow. I'm interested in seeing some of the recipes he has as well and what kind of alternatives he offers. I'm game to try anything! Have a good evening!

just42day on 12/15/2010:
Great job with your food and portion size! That's fabulous! Sorry you have to cancel your trip. I'm sure your hubby and daughter appreciate the massages. Certainly, between the two of them, you should get at least one in return! :)

moogy on 12/15/2010:
Well done on the food front Selina. It is always great to feel in control and doing well. Sorry about you having to cancel your trip. I always wonder who cares for the carer. Look after yourself as well as everyone else.!! Perhaps hubby will pay for a massage for you!!

V on 12/15/2010:
Nana makes a mean martini ;) LOL Yes we will try to be on our best behavior so my mom won't ground us!!

Maria7 on 12/15/2010:
Hope your Hubby is soon well. Sounds like you're doing real well on the eating front. :-D

Yesterday I just threw in a motivational quote as my entry post and planned to come back to update but I was so busy I never had the time, so sorry I didn't get to your entries.... One of the reasons is that Hubby is off work (annual leave) and he is hanging out around the house, ha! So, today is going to be the same thing.... I still have tons to do before Christmas, so at least we'll be doing it together (hubby and me.) Eating has been great - I haven't had any problems overeating and have been able to keep calories low enough that I might even see some loss soon, I hope!

Have a great day!

Progress as of today: 17.2 lbs lost so far, only 29.8 lbs to go!

V on 12/14/2010:
I am sure you are excited about spending time with your hubby :) He is out of town alot so I am sure you are pleased that you have him to help out preparing for Xmas!!! Love ya! Oh I stopped by your site/blog and I am in awe of your talents :) Brilliant!

loveray on 12/14/2010:
i hope you have a great time with your hubby - enjoy the holiday time: it's really the only time of year that the sacredness of family is celebrated:)

just42day on 12/14/2010:
Glad you're doing so well! That's fabulous! Enjoy the time w/hubby. I think that's so wonderful that he has annual leave around the holidays. :)

Umpqua on 12/14/2010:
Sounds like everything is going well, and that's great that hubby is home with you. Have a great day!

moogy on 12/14/2010:
I thought it was a little unusual just to have a quote from you! LOL I am glad to read that you have been doing well with your eating, I am sure you will see some loss for your efforts. Enjoy preparing for Christmas with your husband, it is nice to have someone to help/bounce ideas off/ carry the parcels etc. I hope you had a good day Selina.

nita51 on 12/14/2010:
You and hubby sound like a loving couple. DD's Dude has gone home now. He has no PC but he'll be happy to know you left him a message. We spend our weekends together, so if you don't hear from him tonight, he'll certainly reply to you this weekend. Love you & Hugs

sweetpea1977 on 12/14/2010:
Enjoy your time with hubby. Mine has been off for a few Fridays now and I've loved it. :)

Maria7 on 12/14/2010:
Wow, sounds like you're really doing well with your calories! Enjoy having time with your Hubby! :-)

Horn_Of_Plenty on 12/13/2010:
like hell it is! yes, that is a fine quote indeed. it's so terribly challenging though...i wonder how many of us truly can live that way. :-)

moogy on 12/13/2010:
Isn't that funny, I always thought that I trusted myself with everything, except food. Maybe now I can work on that too. What a good quote. Thank you for your kind words Selina.:)

loveray on 12/13/2010:
love it, it's so true! i used to live in a very contained world - and, in fact, i moved in to my own apartment with no roommate to "make my eating habits better" - really, i was just living in isolation and neglecting the fact that i didnt trust myself around any food at all! living with seth was my training ground around other peoples food. i can say now that i fully trust myself around food- knowing that i will have some slip ups...i have been in a house where everything is allowed and im doing just fine! hallelujah. i never thought i would be able to have kids because i didnt know how to be alone with food in the house.

Maria7 on 12/13/2010:
Did you go out on your birthday? Good to see an entry from you today but miss reading how you're doing.

I went shopping the other day for clothes so that I could wear something very nice and cute for the art exhibit opening but I ended up buying nothing - nothing fit nicely and I still have to lose a lot of pounds to truly enjoy shopping. So, I ended up wearing a classic outfit that I've owned for several years - no fun, but I've saved a whole bunch of $, so there!

I think I was really tired from being lost for 1.5 hr the night before because I had to take a very LOOOONG nap during the day, yesterday. So that's all I did on my b-day: I slept, read and got a very good rest! Hubby is coming back home today, so we'll go out for dinner to celebrate my b-day, or something. Or maybe not, because when he is gone for this long (a week) he wants to stay in and eat at home. I sort of understand him because eating out every day for a whole week is no fun....

Anyway, eating was good and moderate, yesterday. Maitaining weight sort of moderate....

Have a good day, everyone!

Progress as of today: 17.2 lbs lost so far, only 29.8 lbs to go!

Maria7 on 12/11/2010:
Glad you liked the 'flowers'... :-) As for shopping for clothes to wear to special occassions, I usually don't and I usually wear things that I've had for years for special occassions...For example, I've about decided to wear a pair of pants I've had for about 10 years to the party this afternoon (if they still fit and if 'this time' they aren't too big (usually in past years, I barely could wear them as they were almost not big enough!)...as for sweaters or shirts, I have a few of them I've been wearing for years, too, but again, they may be too large to wear today and may need taking up...so that reminds me I need to try on clothes before it is time to get ready for the party to see what fits, since I am smaller than when I wore some of them. Well...I am tired...I baked a 12 layer cake and got it decorated... Hope your Hubby feels up to taking you out and treating you to a special time to celebrate your birthday. As for maintaining weight...I figure anyone maintaining during this Thanksgiving and Christmas season of eating festivities is doing real well...

sweetpea1977 on 12/11/2010:
Happy Birthday!! I dont know how I live without my GPS. Its a real lifesaver for me as I get easily stressed when I get lost...especially when its dark and Im in a bad part of town. Creepy!!

Anyway, I hope you get to do something nice with hubby for your birthday celebrations.

V on 12/11/2010:
I hope you had a funnn b-day...I think you might have been in limbo Chicago this past August...My nana always like to have her 3pm cocktail and my brother and I have many with her, although she milks the same drink for HOURS!! LOl Long story short my mom was pretty pissed when the two of us came home slightly altered!! LOl Have a great evening :)

moogy on 12/11/2010:
There are worse ways to spend your birthday than relaxing and sleeping. You must really have needed the sleep. Enjoy your night out or in, it doesn't really matter does it.? Have a wonderful weekend.:)

Today is my birthday and I want a GPS for my car, lol! I explain: last night I got lost coming back from the art exhibit opening (which went very well, thank you!) and a trip that should have taken only 30 min, took 1.5 hour! I took the beltway to get home, but 5 minutes later I had to exit it because the whole section was blocked. I got confused in the detour and got totally lost! I don't have a map in the car (my bad!) and only had the google earth directions print-outs which were of no use at that point. After stopping at 2 gas stations for directions, we finally got home past bed-time for sweet daughter that didn't complain one single bit. In fact, she remained calm and supportive the whole time as we found our way back home, safely. GPS is daughter's idea!

We had dinner at The Old Town Alexandria, after the show opening - Cals were a bit higher than it could have been, but there was no big damage either.

Today I'll be cleaning the house because I've been neglecting it this whole week - I've been painting and reading, and cleaning is the last thing in my priority list when I am having fun, haha.

Have a good day!

Progress as of today: 17.2 lbs lost so far, only 29.8 lbs to go!

V on 12/10/2010:
Happy birthday!!! getting lost is no fun :( I am glad you and your daughter managed to stay calm and collected!!! Congrats on the show and since it's your birthday i hope you have a glass of two of some delicioso Vino :P

Umpqua on 12/10/2010:
Happy Birthday!! I'm glad your exhibit went well, how exciting. I have GPS on my iPhone and I don't know how I lived without it. I hope you have a great day!

Umpqua on 12/10/2010:
I've always adopted from the CT Humane Society in the past, but they have undergone lots of budget cuts in recent years and so there isn't a branch anywhere near me. We are going through a local program in which the animals are placed in foster homes until they can be adopted. I'll be posting pictures once we get the little critters!

panda22 on 12/10/2010:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! hope it's a great one! I get lost all the time too lol I found out a little while ago that my phone has a navigation feature and man has it saved my life (and the time left in my day) A LOT! Enjoy your day and glad you had a nice evening last night at the exhibit =)

KathyBlue on 12/10/2010:
OMG, happy birthday! Eighteen AGAIN, right???! :))) You took the women's shortcut, don't be so dramatic! :) And maps.. well, we, dear ladies, have a certain issue with maps :) it's like a treasure map, cannot be well-seen for many! :)

biscottibody59 on 12/10/2010:
Happy Happy Birthday--hope you get your wish--good going on the exhibit--ENJOY your day!

moogy on 12/10/2010:
Happy Birthday Selina, I hope you have a wonderful day and get your GPS. You sound like me, I get lost at the drop of a hat. Sydney covers such a huge area geographically that I find it a real maze to try and get somewhere. I am grateful that my daughter seems to be able to find her way around just about anywhere. Bonus!! I am so glad that the art exhibit opening went well, did you overhear any comments on your work? This is a bit exciting:)

After being stuck in 166 lbs for several weeks, it looks like my weight is moving downwards, yay! The drawback is that my stomach starts making noises in the middle of the night, haha!, and I can't go back to sleep. This morning I woke up at around 3 and was never able to fall asleep deeply - so I got up early at around 5 and decided to do things around the house. I also noticed that it's so much easier to be on a diet when hubby is not around with late night requests of food: "is there anything good to eat?" He'll be back by the end of the week, which is super cool because we miss him a whole bunch, but dieting may suffer a bit.... meanwhile, I'm focused, I'm in the zone!

just42day on 12/09/2010:
Congrats on the decline! Have a great reunion w/hubby and enjoy your weekend! Keep doing what you're doing as it's clearly working for you! Yeah! :)

KathyBlue on 12/09/2010:
yeeeee for the weight!!! :) What's the problem with mothers, they can't sleep at night? :)

liza36 on 12/09/2010:
Congrats on the loss. Even bigger congratulations on having your art at the torpedo factory! That's fantastic. I am going to try to stop by and see the exhibit. It will be even more fun for me knowing that I'll be seeing a Selina masterpiece!

V on 12/09/2010:
Look at you go!!!! Yayyyy!!! great job Selina!!! You are almost at your 20 lb loss!!!! Ohhh how exciting! I am proud of you :)

sweetpea1977 on 12/09/2010:
yay for the new weight! and yay for the gallery accepting your art exhibit! You have every right to brag...you are a very talented artist! Do you have photos of the pieces you submitted? I'd love to admire your exhibit online since I cant see it in person. :)

panda22 on 12/09/2010:
Congrats on the loss! I can relate to your comment about it being harder to eat right when your husband is around. When I'm dieting I always have to work even harder with my husband around as well...he could survive off of fast food if I left it up to him and didn't cook! It's easier when I'm pregnant because if he offers me greasy foods I can honestly say it upsets my stomach to think about it and he actually believes me lol. Have a great day!

moogy on 12/09/2010:
I am glad that you are in the zone and that you are seeing some results for all your efforts, that's great. Men are a bit of a distraction, I mean it isn't as if they actually want food, they really want goodies. Mine used to open the fridge door and lean on it with one arm looking for something good to eat. The fridge was full, but it was only food. Have another good day Selina. Thank you for your support it means a lot to me.

V on 12/09/2010:
Yayyy for being in the zone!!! It is a lovely place to be you know ;)

I have two early B-day presents (which is actually on the 10th): I was so good with my eating yesterday, I lost another pound and 1/2! The other present is that my painting was juried in for an art exhibit (for the month of Dec) at an awesome art gallery in the area, the one I talked about the other day. . . This means so much to me because although I've had exhibits in many prestigious galleries before, this is the one I've known for over 2 decades, even before I started painting. According to their website, it's a very competitive exhibit with an average of 600 works submitted and only 130 pieces accepted for each exhibit. Also, they say "visitors are guaranteed a chance to see the best visual art in the mid-Atlantic region." So, you can imagine how delighted I am to be accepted!

Sorry for the bragging, today, I just couldn't help it!

I woke up in the middle of the night with a terrible legcramp, yikes. I couldn't sleep from around 3 to 5.30. Then, this morning I had to go to daughter's school for a "reading and writing celebration" morning, where the children (14 year olds) read their best work for their peers and parents. There were only 3 moms present, though. What I noticed, overall, from this morning experience is that the children TAKE FOR GRANTED the awesome education they get in Fairfax County public school system. Enough said!

Maria7 on 12/08/2010:
Will check back for your entry today. Hope all is well. :-)

Maria7 on 12/08/2010:
Congratulations to you on your art being exhibited in that prestigious gallery! WOW! Sounds WONDERFUL!!!

Also, congrats on 165.5!

Bet your Daughter was very happy you were one of the 3 Moms who showed up for the celebration of her work. :-)

V on 12/08/2010:
Maybe if there were more parents like you involved in their children's life more as far as education they would be enthusiastic :) Congrats on your loss, the gallery showing and your overall determination!!! Have a great day!!!

biscottibody59 on 12/08/2010:
Excellent--artwork being exhibited--pounds down--all of it except the cramp;-)

panda22 on 12/08/2010:
COngratulations on the loss and the exhibit! That's awesome! =)

tangalyn on 12/08/2010:
big congrats on ur loss, ur doing so well, keep up the good work.. hope u have a great day!!

moogy on 12/08/2010:
Well done Selina, what an accomplishment. As someone who dabbles a bit, I know that having people look at your work is always a little nerve racking. I love the comment they have in their brochure - whoo hoo, so proud of you and your daughter sounds as if she did really well. It's a bit sad that their were so few parents to see their children. Have a good day Selina.

V on 12/08/2010:
Shhh just checkin to see if you are still up ;) Love ya!!

Yesterday, I panicked after seeing my weight gain, haha! I was in a strict diet of no carb, small portions of veggies, fruits and muesli with nuts and lots and lots of H2O. Today I am 1 pound lighter, yay, I guess it was mainly water retention. Have a great day, everyone!

Umpqua on 12/07/2010:
FWIW, my yoga class is really a mixed bag. All ages, all sizes, and everyone just works at their own level. The only objective is to find your center and to work your poses just a little bit deeper each time. I really like it and thought I might feel clumsy or behind with doing stuff, but I don't feel that way at all!

moogy on 12/07/2010:
Well, that was a good day Selina, amazing what a bit of panic can achieve!! The lap band prevents acid reflex, stops diabeties (they don't know why yet- but within 48 hours blood sugars are normal - so I will never get diabeties). I am not allowed to drink fizzy drinks as burping can be painful, the bubbles get trapped below the little hole!! Actually it is hard to burb in anycase, so there would be no chance anything else could come up above the band. Thank you for going to the effort to find out what it was all about. That was very kind of you.

V on 12/07/2010:
Awww thank you and I bet that you enjoyed that nice hot cup of coffee!!! You are up pretty late Selina...You usually post in the A.M....I am waiting around to hear from Moogy....I hope everything is okay with her

V on 12/07/2010:
Aha!!! And here all along you were a superhero, a mom/painter during the day and out fighting crime at night...Now that explains it all..Well you shouldn't be embarrassed for dieting, but you know your secret is with us!!! You might be pleasantly surprised that he might bee 100% supportive in your journey??? Well Moogy is back so I will talk to you in the am, Nite!!!

If the wind will not serve, take to the oars.Destitutus ventis, remos adhibeLatin Proverb

I put on 2 pounds, yikes! Need to get busy and move that scale to the other direction...

Good morning!

I realize I was MIA over the weekend - it was so busy and yet, relaxing, that I forgot to post an entry. I finished reading a book and was so sad it ended - sometimes a book is so good you just want it to go on and on.

I went with daughter to old town Alexandria after dropping off hubby at the airport. I was scouting the place I'll be dropping off my paintings on Tue - the art league at the torpedo factory... a place I was used to visiting for over 2 decades to look for art and it may now be a place where I can show my own art! It's pretty exciting!

Dieting has not been very good - last night my daughter and I ended up eating in Alexandria at a seafood place. We ordered crab patties and did not realize that everything on the plate was deep fried until the food was served. I was hungry and I ate it. So dumb, yikes! I'm in a cleansing mode, today. Have a good day, everyone!

Progress as of today: 14 lbs lost so far, only 33 lbs to go!

V on 12/06/2010:
Oh showing of your paintings huh???Well congrats, I can't wait to hear more about it! I am sure everyone will enjoy your works!!! I sure do! You are not only beautiful but also very talented :)

just42day on 12/06/2010:
Great quote! Glad you and your daughter had a nice day. Mondays always are a good day for me to start afresh re: food and portions. I'm sure you'll do great as well! :)

KathyBlue on 12/06/2010:
wow, make sure you'll do some photos at the exhibition! :) You'll be famous, yayyyy!!!! :-) Good cleansing today, that's annoying with the deep fried stuff. I'd have gotten mad and would have felt guilty (normally comes as food-related nightmares) after realizing that.

Maria7 on 12/06/2010:
Yes, I'm pretty sure both Hubby and I are allergic to having live trees inside cause last year we put up a live one and immediately our sinuses started burning. Within a few days, we got rid of the tree but we already had sinus infections by then.

I really like the saying at the top of your entry. In other words, if things aren't moving along as they should or as we'd like, get going and get busy! YES! :-D

Hope you have a nice day. :-)

Maria7 on 12/06/2010:
May be sodium-weight. You can get it back down. :-)

Umpqua on 12/06/2010:
That is so exciting about your paintings! I hope the scale moves back down for you soon.

liza36 on 12/06/2010:
I love the torpedo factory! How cool is that, that you will be displaying your art. I must come by and see it!

moogy on 12/06/2010:
Bad news about the pounds but how wonderful to how found a place to show your art!! That's wonderful. Thank you for all the information, I am going to do more research. I knew you would have a good idea about what is going on. :)

KathyBlue on 12/07/2010:
So, please don't forget to send me your address :) Xmas cards are to be sent out, if I want them to arrive in time! :) xoxo

Yesterday I was out of comission due to a back problem. I was walking up the stairs when I heard a "crack" in my lower back, which in turn transformed into a huge back ache and eventually a headache. So I spent most of the day in bed, in pain and feeling miserable. This morning I feel much better, still a bit stiff, but less unserviceable than yesterday. Anyway, what a waste of time to have to spend it in bed!

On the diet front, I totally failed. I'd say, I took in about 3,000 cals yesterday, just for the boredom of it all. What can one do when nothing is working for you - make it worse by eating? Well, that's what I did and I'm not so happy with myself.....

UPDATE: thank you so much, you guys, for the kind words and wishes. My back is much better today, I've been up and working (painting) although I can't do it while sitting down. I'm glad I got this stand-up desk which I use for my computer monitor and so it happens it works perfectly as a painting easel, as well. All is well, although I now realize how old I'm becoming, haha!

Diet is going well too! :)

Progress as of today: 16 lbs lost so far, only 31 lbs to go!

loveray on 12/03/2010:
eek! back stuff is the worst. are you ok? take yesterday as a slip up and know that you have this day to start fresh and every other day that we are alive:) you are so amazing and can do anything you put your mind to. dont forget it! xo

just42day on 12/03/2010:
I'm sure you'll be able to get back on track now that you're feeling a bit better. Sounds like a day of bed rest was exactly what you were supposed to do yesterday. Chin up and move forward. (I'm trying to do the same as the past few days have not been good ones for me either) We can do this! :)

KathyBlue on 12/03/2010:
There are lows in our lives, and a health problem can be origin of other unwanted attitudes - don't worry, you stay in bed while needed, read something, occupy yourself with something instead of seeking out for comfort foods, and then I'm really sure you'll get better soon! :)

KathyBlue on 12/03/2010:
ahh just for the fun: the Xmas party will be held at: Tenda Panorámica do Cristo Rei, Lisboa ! :)

sweetpea1977 on 12/03/2010:
Oh my gosh, so sorry about your back!! I'd probably comfort myself with food with such horrible pain. Im so glad you are feeling better today.

Smile your beautiful smile and make the most of this gorgeous day!! xo

Maria7 on 12/03/2010:
I LOL when I read your comment this morning to my yesterday's entry. Hahaha! SO TRUE, Girl, you said it ALLLLL! I may as well 'give in' and have a go at it! What am I afraid of, anyway??? I look forward to the Christmas season the whole year and just cause I think I'm not in the mood to decorate the house, I'm going to only decorate web pages??? I think not! You have given me the OOMP! that I needed to tackle the project! Yes, Selina, you did it! Thank you so much! Today is a NEW DAY!!!! Today, celebrating Christmas begins in this house with decorations! YES!

Concerned about your back...do you need an exray? Goodness, that didn't sound good what you wrote about it. :-(

As for overeating, I did that the other night...can you believe that I ate a bag of m and m's Hubby brought home from work to me...and I WAS NOT EVEN HUNGRY FOR THEM???? DUH! And before that, I'd already consumed more calories than daily maintain calories, too (which for me, I think, is about 1700). Why do we do this? Yep, you said it, boredom. Also STRESS.

Hope you have a much better day today and thanks for the INSIGHT. :-D

Umpqua on 12/03/2010:
Ouch, that sounds so painful! I hope today will be a better day for you. And yes, I really do miss my kitty and the mice are just a reminder of what a good mouser he was. He kept the situation in check, even if he did bring them inside from the garage every once in a while to chase around for "sport." I am still grieving him, but I know getting the kittens will be good for all of us - I'm just not quite ready yet.

V on 12/03/2010:
:( Aww Selina...I am sorry to hear about your back but there is no need to take it out on yourself :( I hope you are able to walk around a bit more today! I hope you heal soon :)

Sofia on 12/03/2010:
That sounds like it really hurt, sorry. Have you tried putting heat on your back? It might help. The best way to jump back from a binge is simply forgive yourself, and get back on the wagon. We've all been there, so try to do a bit of extra exercise and eat well, and you'll feel fine in no time!

moogy on 12/03/2010:
I am glad that I got here after the update and read that you are doing better. I have found that as I have gotten older things seem to happen to my body without and good reason or I can't remember hurting something and find a bruise. I must have been frustrating to stay in bed when you wanted to get up and doing. I want to hit my son in law in the head - just for you info, the reason is simple, he is acting stupid, selfish, slow, I could go on..... Have a better day Selina.

moogy on 12/03/2010:
Did you find that things in Europe where as bad on the food front as in the States. I mean, I really thought that we (Australia) were moving toward more wholefoods, we never have had hormones in our meat (illegal), there seems to be lots and lots of different brands to choose from even in the health food section of the supermarket. I am wondering if I am fooling myself, but then I see an ad for wholegrain natuaral nothing added museli bars. I have been really aware of a shift in consumer demands, such as organic meats and eggs in the supermarket not just specialty stores and food with as little done to it as possible. Do you think I am fooling myself, I mean I just found organic pork in the supermarket two days ago. Our laws are really strict and well policed. I am interested in what you think because you have been exposed to other cultures.

Maria7 on 12/03/2010:
Do you ever have any problems with sinuses or allergies when you get a live tree? Just curious.